Divider partitions for article carriers

ABSTRACT

A divider partition for an article carrier, such as for bottles arranged in a pair of side by side rows, the divider partition being formed from a cut and scored blank to provide fingers extending laterally therefrom, the distal portions of such fingers extending between the bottles and slightly beyond a plane marked by the line of centers of the bottles of a row. The laterally extending fingers are hinged to a central panel of the divider partition along fold lines which are laterally spaced from each other in the central panel and disposed in non-parallel relationship to each other. The longitudinal axis of the fingers extends perpendicularly to such lines of fold, and the fingers extend laterally of the central panel. The laterally extending fingers have auxiliary fold lines therein enabling the fingers to diverge from each other in upward and downward directions, with the distal portions thereof enabled to be tangent to the bottles and to extend between the same, and to lie in vertical planes extending normal to the plane of the central panel.

United States Patent [191 Helms [451 July 3,1973

[ DIVIDER PARTITIONS FOR ARTICLE CARRIERS Charles Robert Helms, Barto,Pa.

[73] Assignee: Container Corporation of America,

Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: Feb. 14, 1972 [21] Appl..No.: 226,001

[75] Inventor:

Primary Examiner-Davis T. Moorhead Atr0rneyCarpenter, Otis & Lindberg[57] ABSTRACT A divider partition for an article carrier, such as forbottles arranged in a pair of side by side rows, the divider partitionbeing formed from a cut and scored blank to provide fingers extendinglaterally therefrom, the distal portions of such fingers extendingbetween the bottles and slightly beyond a plane marked by the line ofcenters of the bottles of a row. The laterally extending fingers arehinged to a central panel of the divider partition along fold lineswhich are laterally spaced from each other in the central panel anddisposed in non-parallel relationship to each other. The longitudinalaxis of the fingers extends perpendicularly to such lines of fold, andthe fingers extend laterally of the central panel. The laterallyextending fingers have auxiliary fold lines therein enabling the fingersto diverge from each other in upward and downward directions, with thedistal portions thereof enabled to be tangent to the bottles and toextend between the same, and to lie in vertical planes extending normalto the plane of the central panel.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures FIG.2

FIGB

DIVIDER PARTITIONS FOR ARTICLE CARRIERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1.Field of the Invention The invention herein is directed to a dividerpartition such as may be found in a typical carrier for bottled beer,although it may be employed equally as well in carriers for otherbeverages.

In the packaging of bottled beer in carriers of the sixpack variety, itis necessary to provide a partition divider between the bottles toprotect them. Whatever type is used, it does not merchandise the productany better, and moreover it requires extra equipment to insert thepartition divider automatically between the bottles before theapplication of the wrap.

Those engaged in the packaging of beer or other beverages in glasscontainers are constantly striving to develop a package furnishingadequate protection with the least possible cost. The saving of even afew square inches of paperboard in the making of a divider partition attimes is the difference between a profitable or a non-profitablebusiness. A given design having as an intrinsic part thereof the conceptof the employment of a smaller than previously used paperboard blank hasa distinct advantage indeed.

2. The Prior Art The invention herein constitutes an improvement overthat shown in Helms application Ser. No. 846,661, filed Aug. 1, 1969 forDIVIDER PARTITIONS FOR BOTTLE CARRIERS now US. Pat. No. 3,662,879.

The closest prior art coming to the notice of the applicant are thefollowing patents:

Weiss 3,163,321 Dec. 29, 1964 220/113 Graser 3,258,189 June 28, 1966229/ Weiss 3,263,893 Aug. 2, 1966 229/15 Graser 3,352,473 Nov. 14, 1967229/15 Hickin 3,463,354 Aug. 26, 1969 220/115 Schillinger 3,478,947 Nov.18, 1969 229/15 Helms 3,532,214 Oct. 6, 1970 206/65 Hickin US. Pat. No.3,463,354 discloses article separating fingers extending laterally froma divider panel, the fingers being foldably connected thereto along thefold lines canted from the vertical. The fingers do not have theirlongitudinal axes extending perpendicularly to such fold lines. The endsof the fingers, however, do not extend in a plane perpendicular to thepanel, and according to the invention herein, provision is made wherebythe ends lie in a vertical plane so that the fingers may extend readilybetween adjacent bottles of a row and tangent thereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention herein comprehends a dividerpartition having fingers extending laterally with elements thereof beingin divergent directions, the fingers being formed by cutting and scoringa blank along a plurality of axes spaced from each other, and havingdistal portions foldable along score lines in said fingers to cause thedistal portions to extend at right angles to the plane of the dividerand between adjacent bottles and in directions toward the upper andlower edges of a central panel of the divider. The fingers additionallyhave their longitudinal axes extending substantially at right angles tothe lines of fold where the fingers are connected to the partition.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a cut and scored paperboardblank for forming a divider partition according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the blank of FIG. 1 in the set up positionand separating a group of bottles; and

FIG. 3 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrows 33 of FIG.2.

The divider partition according to the present invention is shown inFIGS. 1 to 3, and is formed from a cut and scored paperboard blankreferred to by the reference numeral 10 and adapted when in the foldedand set up condition to provide a divider partition referred to by thereference numeral 10A. Cut and scored blank 10 is comprised of a centralpanel portion 11 having upper and lower end arms 12 located near thecorners thereof. The central panel portion 11, together with the arms 12is adapted to extend as a partition between two side-by-side rows ofcontainers which contact the central panel portion 11 and the arms 12.The horizontal distance between the arms 12 is approximately equal tothe distance between the spaced lines of centers passing through theendmost bottles of containers of the rows of a six-pack having bottles Btherein. The central panel portion 11 is tangent also to the centerbottles of each row.

The form of the divider partition seen in FIGS. 1 to 3 is especiallyadapted to separate a so-called stubby type throw-away bottle, but itmay also be used with export type bottles.

Central panel portion 11 has transverse partition members extendinglaterally from said central panel portion, these members including upperintermediate fingers 13 extending laterally, each being defined byessentially parallel cut lines 14 and 16 and a connecting cut bight ordistal end 17. The latter is defined also by intersecting cut lines 18and 19, and a curved cut line 21 connecting cut lines 16 and 19. Cutlines 14 and 16 are connected at their proximal ends by a score line 22extending at an angle of less than with respect to the vertical. Theso-inclined score lines 22 extend perpendicularly to the longitudinalaxis LA of the fingers 13.

Structure is provided whereby the fingers 13 have the distal portions 17lying in a vertical plane. To this end each of the fingers 13 has ascore line 23 extending in a direction which is convergent with thescore line 22 intersecting score line 22 where it intersects cut line16. Score line 22, score line 23 and cut line 14 define a web 24connecting distal end 17 with panel portion 11.

Cut and scored blank 10 is also provided with laterally extending endfingers 26 defined by the spaced adjacent cut lines 27, by cut lines 16,21 and 19 and by cut lines 28 extending in vertical directions from thedistal ends 17 of fingers 13. The fingers 26 are additionally defined byhorizontal cut lines 29 extending from the ends of cut lines 28. Fingers26 are connected to central panel portion 11 along a score line 31, andfingers 26 are folded out of the plane of panel portion 11 along thescore lines 31 in a direction opposite from the fingers 13. It may benoted that the fingers 26 extend for substantially the full height ofthe central panel portion 11, the top and bottom extremities thereoflying just below the horizontal plane passing through the upper andlower edges of the central panel portion 11 as previously described.

Additionally, the end finger 26 may be scored along a line 32 to definewith score line 34 a tab 33, so that the finger 26 can lie in a planeextending at right angles to the plane of the central panel portion 11.

It will be seen from the foregoing that effective isolation of thebottles from each other is achieved with a minimum of board. Fingers 13,by reason of their mode of attachment to the central panel 11, and byreason of score lines 23, are arranged to extend in a direction so thatthe distal ends 17 thereof can lie in a vertical plane between a pair ofadjacent bottles in a row to one side of the central partition panel 11as seen more clearly in FIG. 2. As seen in said figure, the distalportions 17 extend in upward and downward directions substantially toplanes P passing horizontally through upper and lower edges of panel 11.

I claim:

1. In a divider partition for a group of articles such as bottlesarranged in a pair of adjacent rows, wherein said divider partition isformed from a blank having cut and fold lines to provide:

a. a central panel portion separating the articles into two side-by-siderows;

b. transverse partition members extending laterally from said centralpanel portion for four articles of said group;

i. said transverse partition members extending between two articles ofone row and the directly opposite articles of the other row;

ii. said transverse partition members being hinged to the central panelportion and extending outwardly from opposite sides thereof;

0. the improvement wherein at least one of said transverse partitionmembers comprises:

i. members each hingedly connected to said central panel portion along afold line which is disposed at an angle of less than 90 with respect toa vertical axis passing through said central panel portion;

ii. each of last named members having the longitudinal axis thereofextending substantially at right angles to said fold line;

iii. a score line in each of said members extends in a directionconvergent with said fold line so constructed that a distal portion ofsaid member extends in a plane normal to said central panel portion andtoward a horizontal plane including an edge of said central panelportion.

2. A divider partition according to claim 1 wherein the other of saidtransverse partition members is formed from portions of said blank lyingbetween the members comprising the said one transverse partition member.

3. A divider partition according to claim 1 wherein said score lineintersects said fold line.

4. A divider partition according to claim 2 wherein said othertransverse partition member is generally T- shaped.

5. In a divider partition for a group of articles such as bottlesarranged in a pair of adjacent rows, said divider partition being formedfrom a blank having cut and fold lines to provide:

a. a central panel portion separating the articles into two side-by-siderows;

b. separate transverse partition members extending laterally from saidcentral panel portion for two adjacent articles arranged in a row ofsaid group:

i. said transverse partition members extending between two articles ofone row;

ii. said transverse partition members being hinged to the central panelportion and extending laterally thereof;

iii. said transverse partition members being hinged to the central panelportion along non-parallel fold lines;

iv. each of said transverse partition members having the longitudinalaxis thereof extending substantially at right angles to its related foldline;

v. each of said transverse partition members having an additional scoreline therein convergent with its related fold line whereby the distalend of said transverse partition member extends in a vertical planeperpendicular to the plane of the central panel portion.

6. A divider partition according to claim 5 wherein each of saidtransverse partition members has a portion offset from its longitudinalaxis at the distal end thereof.

1. In a divider partition for a group of articles such as bottlesarranged in a pair of adjacent rows, wherein said divider partition isformed from a blank having cut and fold lines to provide: a. a centralpanel portion separating the articles into two side-by-side rows; b.transverse partition members extending laterally from said central panelportion for four articles of said group; i. said transverse partitionmembers extending between two articles of one row and the directlyopposite articles of the other row; ii. said transverse partitionmembers being hinged to the central panel portion and extendingoutwardly from opposite sides thereof; c. the improvement wherein atleast one of said transverse partition members comprises: i. memberseach hingedly connected to said central panel portion along a fold linewhich is disposed at an angle of less than 90* with respect to avertical axis passing through said central panel portion; ii. each oflast named members having the longitudinal axis thereof extendingsubstantially at right angles to said fold line; iii. a score line ineach of said members extends in a direction convergent with said foldline so constructed that a distal portion of said member extends in aplane normal to said central panel portion and toward a horizontal planeincluding an edge of said central panel portion.
 2. A divider partitionaccording to claim 1 wherein the other of said transverse partitionmembers is formed from portions of said blank lying between the memberscomprising the said one transverse partition member.
 3. A dividerpartition according to claim 1 wherein said score line intersects saidfold line.
 4. A divider partition according to claim 2 wherein saidother transverse partition member is generally T-shaped.
 5. In a dividerpartition for a group of articles such as bottles arranged in a pair ofadjacent rows, said divider partition being formed from a blank havingcut and fold lines to provide: a. a central panel portion separating thearticles into two side-by-side rows; b. separate transverse partitionmembers extending laterally from said central panel portion for twoadjacent articles arranged in a row of said group: i. said transversepartition members extending between two articles of one row; ii. saidtransverse partition members being hinged to the central panel portionand extending laterally thereof; iii. said transverse partition membersbeing hinged to the central panel portion along non-parallel fold lines;iv. each of said transverse partition members having the longitudinalaxis thereof extending substantially at right angles to its related foldline; v. each of said transverse partition members having an additionalscore line therein convergent with its related fold line whereby thedistal end of said transverse partition member extends in a verticalplane perpendiCular to the plane of the central panel portion.
 6. Adivider partition according to claim 5 wherein each of said transversepartition members has a portion offset from its longitudinal axis at thedistal end thereof.